The 10 Most Bizarre Own Goals in History

Football is full of unforgettable moments, whether they are marked by the genius of the players or by bizarre events that are out of control. Among these moments, own goals have a special place, as they combine bad luck, human error and unusual situations that remain etched in the memory of sports fans.

In this article, we revisit 10 of the most iconic and incredible own goals in football history!

10 - Phil Jones x Newcastle - 2012

Opening our list with Manchester United's defender, in the 2012 Premier League against Newcastle, the New York goalkeeper made a pass into the Red Devils' area. However, the defender, when trying to block it, ended up kicking the ball into his own goal.

9 - Marcelo x Croatia - 2014

Scoring an own goal is bad enough in itself, but now imagine scoring one at the opening of a World Cup in your own country! That's what happened to left-back Marcelo in 2014. The Croatian left-back made an unpretentious cross into the Brazilian area, and Marcelo, when trying to cut it out, ended up pushing the ball that would have gone straight into the goal, opening the scoring for the Europeans. Thank goodness the star player Neymar saved that game with 2 goals, giving Brazil the victory.

8 - Junior Bahian x Sao Paulo - 2005

In the 2005 Brazilian Championship, São Paulo and Flamengo faced each other. In a ball passed back by the Rio de Janeiro team's midfielder, Júnior Baiano tried to pass it back to goalkeeper Júlio Cesar and ended up chipping the ball over the goalkeeper, scoring a bizarre own goal.

7 - Malang Sarr x Trabzonspor - 2020

In a UEFA Europa League game in 2020, Monaco and Trabzonspor faced each other. At one point in the game, the goalkeeper ended up hitting the club's defender in the face, and the ball ended up going into the goal.

6 - Kramer x Borussia Dortmund - 2014

In the 2014-15 Bundesliga, in a match between Borussia Dortmund and Mönchengladbach, at one point in the game, goalkeeper Sommer passed the ball to the defensive midfielder in midfield, who tried to pass it back to the goalkeeper. What he didn't imagine was that he would score the goal that Pelé didn't... only the other way around. The ball that Kramer tried to pass back went over the goalkeeper, resulting in one of the most beautiful own goals in history.

5 - Kieran Trippier x Chelsea - 2019

In the 2019-20 Premier League, Chelsea and Tottenham faced off. At one point in the game, the right-back attempted to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Lloris, who was coming out of goal, fooling the goalkeeper and scoring an own goal.

4 - Gareth Bale x Liverpool - 2012

Even the best players have bad luck! In a game between Tottenham and Liverpool, when Gerrard crossed into the London team's box, the Spurs defender tried to clear the ball on the line, but the Welshman was in front of him, causing the ball to hit him in the face and go into his own goal.

3 - Vincent Kompany x Fulham - 2012

In 2012, in the game between Manchester City and Fulham, a cross from the London team's right winger was attempted by the City defender, but he caught the ball with his ear, lobbing goalkeeper Hart and scoring a bizarre own goal.

2 - Andrés Escobar x United States - 1994

This own goal is the saddest in history. Escobar became famous for having scored an own goal that helped eliminate Colombia in 1994, probably the reason why he was assassinated the following month, while on vacation in his hometown.

1 - Julio Cesar and Fabinho x Bahia - 2003

First of all, the most bizarre own goal you'll ever see. In 2003, Flamengo and Bahia played in the Brazilian Championship. Despite winning the game and having a brilliant career in Europe, goalkeeper Júlio Cesar was marked by this bizarre goal. The goal itself was attributed to Fabinho, but the unbelievable way in which it was scored was his fault.

When trying to make a throw-in into the attacking field, the goalkeeper didn't see that the midfielder was in front of him, ended up "knocking him out" in the back of the head, and the ball went back into his own goal.

The own goals presented here are remembered not only for their mistakes or failures, but also for the contexts that surrounded them. Some resulted in laughter and funny stories, while others marked dramatic or even sad situations in the history of football. Either way, these moments show us that football is unpredictable and exciting.

After all, it is these unique episodes that make the world's most beloved sport so special and unforgettable.

We hope you had fun (and even got emotional) remembering these unusual moments. Until next time!